Speed-the-Plow On-the-Nose

When I heard Jeremy Piven was starring in a Broadway revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow I thought "that's a bit on the nose." Piven's Ari Gold, the conniving agent on Entourage, sounds just like S-t-P's Charlie, another fast-talking hustler who fights to get his film off the ground. But it turns out Piven has been cast as Bobby, the producer with greenlight power. It might be interesting to see how Piven handles the other side of the desk. (Actually, on Entourage right now, it looks like he may be kicked up to that sort of role.)

Speed-the-Plow is a fun ride, but pretty thin--a good reason for major productions to go for star power. The original Broadway version starred Joe Mantegna, Ron Silver, and, in the underwritten role of Karen, Madonna. A recent London production had Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum.

The new production also features Elisabeth Moss. This seems a bit on the nose, too, since her Peggy in Mad Men, just like Karen, is a mixture of naivete and calculation. On the other hand, there's not a single critic who doesn't think she's doing a better job than Madonna.